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>> and now, "bbc world news." >> murdoch will appear before the u.k. officials over the hacking scandal. italy's senate has approved a $68 billion package of tax and -- taxes and cuts. forced into hiding as the crackdown in syria continues. we crossed the border to get a rare look into how thousands of families are now living. this is "bbc news." the federal bureau of investigations in the united states as open an inquiry into allegations that rupert

murdoch's news corp. packed into phones of victims of the 9/11 attacks. the decision followed a request from federal officials. >> rebuilding is underway at the world trade center site, scene of the 9/11 attacks where 33,000 people -- 3300 people were killed. there are allegations that news of the world journalist tried to obtain the phone records of 9/11 victims. a new york lawmaker put the fbi investigation that is now underway. >> i represent a district that lost 150 people on september 11. anyone who hacked into the folds of those rare killed, those or missing at any time, especially during that tragic time, is indefensible. >> the news corp. has offices in manhattan. 9/11 relatives hope the fbi will

find out any truth to the allegations. >> i heard that this is at the expense of the united states and 9/11 victims. i was deeply upset and very concerned. i would like to see accountability and responsibility. no one is above the law. >> meanwhile, rupert murdoch was given an interview by his own wall street journal newspaper. he says is new court -- news corp. company has handled the hacking crisis extremely well, making just minor mistakes. he defied reports that he is considering selling off his newspapers as pure and total rubbish. mr. murdoch says that his parliamentary appearance next week, we think it is important to absolutely established our integrity in the eyes of the public. the fbi investigation into whether there was an attempt to obtain phone records may not need and the rest.

the allegations could be completely untrue. right now, rupert murdoch's news corp. is facing allegations on both sides of the atlantic. >> in the u.k., mr. murdoch has vowed to initial pressure. >> parliament has already -- was to hold record brooks and rupert murdoch accountable. why were so many people's phones pack in the name of news? it was a summons that they could not ignore. >> do the decent thing. you cannot hide it away from this level of public anguish. >> at first, they were reluctant witnesses. rupert murdoch told the committee he could not attend was to a's session, however

looking forward to the inquiry. rebecca brooks said she is available to the committee on that date and welcome the opportunity to do so. but, she said, she would not be able to do -- say anything related to the ongoing investigation into hacking. i find, even imprisonment -- it appears the threat has worked. the murdoch's change their mind and said they would answer the questions. in a second letter, james murdoch confirmed their attendance. he said he was concerned they were asked to answer questions in a different forum. what ever the forum, the questions keep coming. why did news of the world mislead parliament? why were some victims paid?

what did the management fail to find out what was going on? we asked about what brooks said. >> we have been asked for information in the past. >> the committee asking the questions was optimistic. >> the committee will want to hear the truth. we want to get the facts. this is not about a glance mob or an opportunity. >> the lawyer of presenting the family of the woman who was allegedly packed had his doubts. >> not think they were skeptical about everything. they will see the three monkeys -- hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. >> rupert murdoch insisted in an interview his company had handled the crisis extremely well. tonight he said he would use next week's appearance to establish their integrity in the

eye of the public. the scene is set for a confrontation between parliament and the press, a chance for the murdoch to defense -- defend their newspaper. it will be historic. it will be utterly un admissible. -- unmissable. >> standard and poor's has said it could downgrade american of the debt rating. american currently as a triple a debt rating, the best possible. that has come into question in recent days. standard and poor's announcement follows that of moody's on wednesday. austerity is a word and condition many europeans have been forced to adopt, although it has sparked massive protest across the continent. britain has passed its own cost- cutting baggage. it comes after investors started to worry that the eurozone's third largest economy could be the next victim of the debt crisis.

it goes to the lower house of parliament on friday. >> italy, ever aware of battles past, has been told it is now on the front line in the current battle over the eurozone crisis. the reason is that. -- the reason is debt. today, the italian senate debated an emergency austerity package, brought forward to calmed markets worried about italian debt. the italian finance minister told the senators the country was watching. he warned the public they could devour our future in the future of our children. passions ran high. public wages will now be frozen. the senate approved the measures and the italian parliament looks set to pass this budget in five days. >> we are reeling right now at the defense of the european

currency. this is not against italy. it is against the eurozone. >> here is italy's problem. it is looking to make 42 billion pounds in savings over three years. it is under pressure because its total debt is 1.6 trillion pounds. if italy wants trouble, it is too big to be rescued. -- if italy gets into trouble, it is too big to be rescued. italy has world famous vans. what it lacks is low productivity and low growth. some of those who opposed to de's austerity package fear that without growth, italy cannot escape its problems. >> yes, we need to get the debt under control, but this package is not enough. you have to promote growth. in autumn, will be back to

square one. >> financial markets also remain wary. most of the savings will not take effect until 2013. italy's borrowing costs are not just high, but close to being unsustainable. the austerity package will be in italy's lower house tomorrow. it is expected to be passed. the real focus remains away from here in greece. there are still deep divisions over how to organize a second bailout for that country. >> kenya's prime minister has promised that a new camp for refugees across the border from the conflict in somalia will now open. the un built the camps in kenya last year. it was intended for emergencies with houses rather than tense. officials shut the place down fearing the permanence of the place would make refugees

reluctant to lead -- leave. it will now open within the next 10 days. >> time is of essence. let us not continue to delay and see that we have an obligation as members of the human race to assist and support our brothers and sisters who are left with no food and insecurity. this is the time. >> now to syria or the deadly protests continue against the rule of president assad. some people were killed on the border of iraq on thursday. 350 security personnel have died. foreign journalists are unable to travel and report freely in syria.

>> this is the only way to report freely in syria. taking the smugglers are routed through the mountains. -- smugglers' route through the mountains. everybody tries to avoid the border guards. we are told to run. since this conflict began, the syrian regime has tried to control what the world sees and hears. we have come to find out what has happened. we are now traveling on the syrian side of the border. we are having to keep a pretty low profile. we are told that the syrian military is in this area. it is too unsafe to stay out in

the open too long. the security forces have tried to crush anti-government protest here, forcing more people to leave their towns and villages. we are taking to a cap -- taken to a camp in the woods. it is not much, but it is home. thousands of families have been forced into hiding. they treat strangers with caution. some have been here for months. they all have a story to tell it is remarkable how similar they are. terrorized by government attacks, living in fear of a late-night visit. what has life been like here for his wife and children? >> the syrian army and the secret police move around in the trees to check on the people. they want to check people with weapons on them. they accuse them of being criminals. they go into our houses and

villages and damage them. this is why no one was set back to their homes. >> the syrian army keeps a watchful eye on the hill. unlike egypt and tunisia, they have taken sides with the regime. now, they have testimony of what that may -- what that means. this is a soldier from damascus. the deserted after being given an order he could not follow. >> he was given a gun and ammunition and told to shoot protestors in their leg. >> look it is rare demonstration in damascus. the bbc has been given this footage, which shows what happens to those who protest. we cannot verify this, but it appears raging floods the of those who want change. -- raging thugs beath those who want change. it is a battle that has shaken this region.

this arab revolution will be a long, bloody struggle. quite the united nations general assembly has voted to allow newly independent south sudan as is one of the tiny third member. -- 193 member. developments in a satellite monitoring group has released images that say they are evidence of mass graves. the satellite sentinel project says evidence and i wish as -- eyewitness reports say that the greatest contain hundreds of bodies. this is a bbc news. still ahead, in the on high alert. security is intensified in mumbai after a coordinated bomb attack.

>> now to afghanistan or five people were killed today in a blast inside a mosque. the attack was carried out by a man who hid explosives in his turban. it happened in canada hard during a memorial service for president karzai's brother. his brother was assassinated this week. the governor of kandahar was in the mosque. >> another deadly attack in the heart of kandahar. top afghan officials were attending a prayer service for the president's half-brothers. they were quickly whisked away as eight police units secure the area. among the dead, an influential cleric, a man opposed to the taliban. like so many other attacks, the

brought was born by ordinary afghans. more people are also dying from nato air strikes. on wednesday, six villagers died in this raid. it was an operation to flush out insurgents near the pakistan border. among the victims, women and children. it led to a wave of anger among afghans. protest have taken place, pressing for the withdrawal of western forces. that is about to happen imminently, but some are wondering at what cost? starting next week and over the next several months, thousands of nato troops will begin a gradual withdrawal from afghanistan, and the security to the afghan forces. questions are being raised about if they are ready to take on the role, especially after these high-profile killings.

>> this is a bbc news. the fbi opened an investigation into rupert murdoch's news corp. to investigate allegations they hacked into phones of 9/11 victims. italy says it has approved a $68 billion package of cuts and tax increases. the country faces severe financial problems. in india, the government has put its cities on high alert after a blast on wednesday in the financial capital of mumbai. the prime minister insist there was no warning or prior intelligence about the attack. 70 people were killed and more than 100 injured in multiple locations. people are angry about the government's inability to prevent such strikes. >> monsoon rains tumbled down and mumbai, india's financial

capital, always the aftermath of three simultaneous bomb blast. close to 20 people were killed and scores more injured as explosions ripped through crowded areas during evening rush hour. witnesses in the opera house district and diamond trading area where one of the blast took place described -- described scenes of chaos and confusion. >> it was 6:55 pm. i was packing to go home and the bomb went off. i was watching from a window. i dropped the diamonds i was carrying. i could see people panicking and covered in blood. >> a number of people have died in these attacks. investigators have been combing all three sites to find any clues as to why transpired and who may be responsible.

it may be some time before a picture emerges, but people are already asking why they have been targeted once again. those living around the opera house blast site moved out, carrying their belongings through the debris. they and many others are questioning the city's security and intelligence services. the authorities, meanwhile, have asked for time to bring the perpetrators to justice. >> the investigation is a long drawn-out process. we cannot rush to conclusions. >> these are the deadliest attacks to rock mumbai since 2008. smaller by comparison, they have still shaken this commercial hub and those who call it home. the focus in india as how best

to protect its people. >> in egypt, protesters are preparing for what they say will be another big demonstration in career squared this morning. they were there last friday. the revolution has stalled despite the overthrow of's mubarak -- hosni mubarak. dramatic changes are taking place across the region. >> six months ago, egypt had a president who was more like a pharaoh. he left no golden memorial, just a deeply troubled country. the way his regime and did -- ended inspired other arabs. in cairo's quarter, you can see what people want a new middle east. official corruption made the country worse, the regime's real legacy. too many live in places like

carrots -- cairo's cramped back alleys. it is hard to feel free if every day is a struggle. to get an idea of where the changes are coming from, you need to go down any street in the middle east. or around 60% of arabs are under the age of 30. a lot of them are fed up with regimes that have not been trying to give them better lies. this year, they feel they can do something about it. change is not coming easily or quickly, but there is no going back to the way it was. but they have gone back to tahrir square because they believe the revolution is not complete. egyptians overthrew the man at the top. now they defy the generals who run the country until the elections, who they believe is trying to preserve as much as the old system as they can.

organizers since the first anti mubarak marches in january are still leading the way for the arab world. >> we started by toppling the regime. all of a sudden, that is not how things go. we believe we left the square early. we should have stayed here until all our demands were met. we do not want to see the chaos that happen with somebody like mubarak. >> while arabs debate, westerners spectate. even the libyan and intervention needed the arab league's agreement. negotiation should not be the priority in libya, says the league's former head. a new beginning for a new era. >> we are on top of change in the arab world. there is no democracy, no real economic development.

that is why the vast majority is in a unanimous position that we should change. >> taking on the the state that led to the mubarak regime may be the hardest job yet for the protestors. the arab spring has turned into summer, making a new middle east will take more than a season. it will reveal itself slowly. there be votes for political islam as well as secular democracy. it is changing the world. >> members of the national union of journalists at the bbc have taken a 30 -- a 24 hour strike. the bbc has apologized to audiences for any disruption in services the strike may cause. if u.s. government debt proves not to be a good investment, how

best to manage it? earliesten's surviving work has sold for $4.50 million. we have more now on who now owns the 68 pages. >> emma watson was melt -- was well made and plot. >> an excerpt from jane austin's unfinished novel, describing the heroine, the daughter of a clergyman. of father, also a clergyman, actually died. today, the hand written sacrament was sold at auction. bidding was fierce, with interest from around the world. [applause] >> thank you very much. >> we sold just under 1 million

pounds. the excitement was palpable. it was three times its estimated value. you can see the manuscript 3 online. so, why pay that amount of money for the object? >> it is very well that you have an opportunity to buy something like this on the open market. of course, seeing jane austen's handwriting, this object that she actually touched, is quite different from reading a printed book. >> there is a good chance the manuscript will go abroad, but i can reveal that it was bought by a british institution. the library in oxford, aided by a national grant from the national heritage memorial fund. >> it is worth every single penny. it is the last manuscript in private ownership. we felt very strongly that we need to step in and bring it

into public ownership. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its

global financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news america" was presented by kcet, los angeles.